Kolkata: D
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Mini Dhaka
2023
June 25, 2023: The Times of India
A few metres from the swanky restaurants of Park Street serving colonial cuisine, there’s a row of eateries selling various types of fish cooked in pungent mustard sauce and different ‘bhortas’ – delicacies that unite the two Bengals on either side of the river Icchamati.
Flanked by “international” travel agencies and shops selling “ISD SIM cards”, this nondescript pocket of Kolkata has turned into a “mini Dhaka” over the years. Whether to see the Victoria Memorial or a doctor in hospitals off the EM Bypass, it is this mini pocket that Bangladeshi tourists call a “home away from home”.
Every morning, around 1,200-1,500 visitors from Bangladesh arrive in the neighbourhoods of Free School Street, Kyd Street, Sudder Street, Collin Street and Marquis Street.
“Some come by flights. Others take the train or bus to arrive in the city,” says Naushad Siddique, manager of a travel agency that operates Shyamoli Paribahan. Shyamoli, along with Shohag and Greenline, operates daily buses between Kolkata and Dhaka.
According to data compiled by the tourism department, more than 21 lakh Bangladeshi tourists arrived in India in 2017. The number rose to around 23 lakh in 2018 and almost 26 lakh the next year. The pandemic years of 2020-21 saw a plunge, with only 5-6 lakh tourists making it to the country. In 2022, however, more than 10 lakh tourists visited India. Of them, a substantial number arrived in Kolkata, the biggest city that is also closest to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.
These are not just numbers. They give an indication of how the business and economy of these Kolkata neighbourhoods are being driven by these visitors. “Tourism has created a robust micro-economy here. From retail to medical care and hospitality, this steady inflow of visitors has been sustaining several businesses and jobs for years,” says Abhinav Mohanta, a member of a business chamber in Kolkata.
Although there are no official numbers, traders’ associations active in the area estimate that business worth around Rs 500 crore is conducted here every year.
“There are more than 250 prominent hotels and guesthouses in these pockets. So, you have around 5,000 rooms in total in an area with a radius of only half a kilometre,” says Harmit Singh, president of the Calcutta Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association.
Apart from these, another 200 budget lodges have come up to cater to the tourists, he adds.
With the rising numbers comes rising competition. These hotels and guesthouses try their best to attract tourists. So, you not only have accommodations like “Dhaka Lodge” and “Bangabandhu”, but also eateries that prominently advertise “Dhakai cuisine” on their signboards and banners. The items on the menu – from kacchi biryani to bhortas – are intended to make the tourists “feel at home”.
“This entire neighbourhood has a Dhaka vibe. From the language to the food, one can hardly differentiate this place from the Bangladesh capital,” says Mehrin Ara Dipti, a homemaker from the neighbouring country.
Eateries try to customise their food to suit the spicy Bangladeshi palate. “Even locals come here to taste our Bangladeshi delicacies. We hardly have vacant seats during lunch and dinner,” says Abhishek Ghosh of Radhuni on Mirza Ghalib Street.
Businesses also flourish in the nearby shopping hubs of New Market, Treasure Island, Shree Ram Arcade, Bagri Market and Burrabazar. “Almost 80% of our customers are from Bangladesh. In 2020 and much of 2021, a large part of our business was hit as Bangladeshi tourists couldn’t come because of Covid restrictions,” says Ravi Chugani, secretary of the Shree Ram Arcade Association.
According to a government estimate, in 2016 around 10% of the Bangladeshi tourists arrived in Kolkata for medical care. As a result, most hospitals in the city have dedicated helpdesks for patients from Bangladesh.
But there’s a lot to be improved in this “mini Dhaka”, feel businessmen of the area.
“More than 15 buses arrive here every day with tourists from Bangladesh, but there is no parking space. Illegal hawkers have set up shop here and there, leading to encroachment outside restaurants and hotels. These cause inconvenience to the tourists. We have repeatedly written to the administration, but to no avail,” says the owner of a hotel on Free School Street.
